In the regular season, the Patriots gave up 293.9 passing yards. How does a team like that make it to the Super Bowl? They step it up in the playoffs. In their two playoff games, they are giving up 195 passing yards. Granted, they played the offenses of the Broncos and Ravens, so the Giants are a whole different story. Last time the two teams met, the Patriots held Manning to 250 yards and Jacobs to 72 yards (Bradshaw did not play). Bradshaw adds a new element to the team, so the Patriots will have their hands full. They’re going to need to get creative with their blitzes to slow down Manning like the 49ers did. If they can do that, the running game won’t beat them by itself. However, it’s hard to imagine Manning not having a good game with the way he’s been playing, so stopping the run will be key. In conclusion, I wouldn’t say the Patriots’ defense has gotten better, but rather they were never that bad in the first place. Like Green Bay, they suffered from teams throwing all over them to keep up with Brady. Manning should be salivating at that opportunity.
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